A time for Yippies

Friday

Jun 29, 2007 at 9:51 AM

O, for the wild and halcyon protests of the ‘60s, when kids really knew how to put a negative spin on war. Where ARE the sons and daughters of Abbie and Jerry?

Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin galvanized the anti-Vietnam forces of their age with an intoxicating blend of outrage and humor. They and their co-defendants captured the nation’s attention with their antics during the infamous Chicago Seven trial of 1969-70. Hoffman once led a crowd of 50,000 people in an attempt to psychically levitate the Pentagon. Rubin dressed up as a Revolutionary War soldier when he was called before the House of Un-American Activities Committee, and handed out copies of the Declaration of Independence to audience members.

Together, the two famously tossed money onto the floor of the New York Stock Exchange – inciting a mad scramble among brokers. Together, they helped form the Youth International Party — better known as the Yippies — which nominated a pig as their candidate for president of the United States.

What’s happened to that Peter Pan exuberance, not to mention the remarkable knack for attracting media attention? Until her recent decision to return to private life, “Peace Mom” Cindy Sheehan had emerged as the face of the current anti-war movement. While she could be eloquent in sharing her grief as a Gold Star mother, Sheehan didn’t possess the ingenuity and sheer chutzpah of Hoffman and Rubin. Apparently, no one among the current generation of protesters carries that particular gene.

During their infamous Chicago Seven trial, Hoffman and Rubin in particular made a point of thumbing their nose at the presiding judge — whose name, ironically, was Julius Hoffman — and the system he represented. At one point, they showed up in court wearing their own judicial robes. On another occasion, Abbie raised his middle finger while being sworn in to give his testimony. They made faces, sat with their feet up on the table, dressed in jeans and headbands, and allegedly brought a bag of pot into the courtroom.

This all made for great theater and compelling news copy.

While their shenanigans may have seemed juvenile, the intent was worthy — they were calling attention to efforts to end an unpopular war. Meanwhile, socialites and barely legal starlets generate even more media attention today simply by misbehaving on the party circuit.

The Chicago trial resulted from protests in that city during the Democratic National Convention, when police used night sticks and tear gas to try to purge Chicago’s streets of demonstrators. Supporters later said Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and those who attempted to prosecute the Seven did more for the anti-war movement than the protest organizers could have hoped.

Unfortunately, there have been few moments to really fire people up during Bush’s war in Iraq. You’d think this would be a great time for the anti-war movement – W’s approval ratings are now lower than Richard Nixon’s, and key Republican leaders are adding their voice to the chorus calling for our troops to get out of there. Now would seem to be the moment to strike hard and loud, but there don’t seem to be any leaders in sight.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore tapped into the right vein with his 2004 documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11” and emerged as a fearless critic of W’s policies before it was popular to do so. For a time, he was virtually the voice of the anti-Iraq war forces. However, Moore has since turned his spotlight onto the health-care crisis in his current film, “Sicko.”

Sean Penn, the Dixie Chicks and various other celebrities have made brave and bold statements from time to time denouncing the war in Iraq, but ultimately they have their highly profitable careers to maintain. With no one else stepping to the plate, it’s fun to think about what role Abbie Hoffman might have taken on if he had lived to witness the blundering efforts that brought us to the present quagmire.

His life and Rubin’s took widely diverging paths during the 1970s.

Hoffman was busted on cocaine charges in 1973 — he claimed he was set up by undercover cops — and went on the lam for several years under an assumed name. In 1980, he finally turned himself in and served a one-year jail sentence.

Afterward, he and Rubin took part in a “Yippie versus Yuppie” debate tour.

You see, Rubin, while Hoffman was in hiding, had embraced capitalism and became an entrepreneur. He was reportedly one of the investors who got in near the ground floor with Apple Computers. Still, they remained friends.

Unfortunately, the colorful lives of both men came to premature ends.

Hoffman died in 1989 at age 52, in what was ruled a suicidal drug overdose; Rubin – still something of a 56-year-old rebel after all – was killed in 1994 while jaywalking in Los Angeles.

But man, wouldn’t it be great if their spirit was still alive and smirking?

D. Allan Kerr thinks he would have made a cool hippie back in the day. He can be reached at the_culling@hotmail.com.

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